The Prayer of Preservation
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Intro
Intro
1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Interesting note: preserve means to keep watch or guard.
We don’t always want God watching us because we’re ashamed of what we do.
However, when we’re in trouble, we want God watching us and preserving us
What does it mean for God to be with us?
Joseph
a.) Prosperous
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
b.) Testimony
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
c.) Favor
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
d.) Trust
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
e.) Belief in
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
What lead to the obvious illumination by others that God was present with Joseph was slavery… prison…
2. Israel
10 He found him in a desert land,
And in the waste howling wilderness;
He led him about, he instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of his eye.
Every time we remember God’s presence in the life of Israel, it’s because it was made apparent by:
Hard affliction
Slavery
Physical, mental and emotional pain
Being chased by an army
Having millions of people in a land with no food or water
Being stuck on one side of the river
No food, no water, no clothes, no direction, nothing… zero… empty… gone
3. Daniel
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
God’s presence was seen in Daniel because of:
Deception against him
Persecution done to him
It came because he had zero… he ran on empty and had nothing left. He was alone, no possessions, no people, no help of any kind in the pit with some hungry lions…
4. David
The preserving of David’s life and the power of God through his life came at:
A completely outmatched battle against Goliath
an unfair situation with Saul
The preserving of David’s life came from God through Saul (time it was most evident and seen) was when David had nothing… no chance, no freedom, no choice
5. Peter
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
The time when Peter was able to say with confidence, “I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel…” or in other words, “I know for sure God is with me and fighting for me…” But NOW I KNOW… was when he was in prison
No power to help the situation
No freedom to flee
Nothing, zero
6. Peter and John
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
The way the naysayers and enemies of the cross were able to see Peter and John had been with Jesus was prison, unfair treatment, loss of freedom, no education….
IN other words… they had zero… nothing at all
Theme:
The time God’s presence on our life becomes the most obvious is when we have absolutely nothing,..
At that point I guess it’ just an individual choice whether you obey God or not…
David is praying for preservation from God…
Yet preservation is more than “keep me alive”
It’s… “When I have nothing and am nothing, God, watch me and protect me because I have nothing.”
God’s presence in people’s lives are seen and made obvious when the person was at 0 then God brought up…
We want people to see the presence of God on our lives and on our church…
That only happens Biblically when God shows up to fight our battles when we are zero, empty, bottom of the barrel and have nothing else…
Exodus 33…
God promised:
the land
victory over enemies
material blessing
Yet in spite of all of that, Moses had no desire to go up unless THE PRESENCE OF GOD WAS with them…
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Rest
David had confidence that arose out of God’s presence
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
